To Stop a Beating Heart
by PeggyandthePenguins
Summary: She would be ashamed to admit it, but she's given up. With everything that had happened to her, through her own decisions and other choices that were made for her, Marina knew it was mostly his fault. He took so many things from her and gave her back so little. But she couldn't help but let him take it from her. He was a disease that even Law couldn't cure. DoflamingoxOCxCorazon
1. A Heart Beats

"You cut your hair."

"I did."

"Why?" The man with the dark hair shrugged his arms in a 'why' motion. He leaned back into his rickety chair as his crew shuffled around the small cottage gathering his family's things as he chatted with his sister. The captain ran his hands through his hat free hair as he looked her over. She was standing before him with her black hair cut into a short bob— a drastic change to her long black tresses. The woman leaned further into the kitchen counter.

"Does it not look good?" She tilted her head with a genuine curiosity in her eyes.

"Hey, Captain. Quite harassin' her. She looks great!" One of his crew members shouted out, defending the woman as she giggled at her brother's exasperated expression.

"No, it does," the man sighed, ignoring his crew's teases. "I just don't know why you cut your hair all of a sudden. I thought you liked it long?"

"No," she dropped her eyes from his, finding an interest in the rotting floor boards. "I cut it because he liked short hair."

His eyebrows narrowed. "I thought Doflamingo liked your hair long?"

"He does." It was the woman's turn to sigh. She turned her head to look out the window, admiring the peaceful way the waves crashed against the distant shore. The woman loved the greenery that grew on the island. It was a beautiful island with many helpful citizens— not too much violence for being in the New World— and had a reasonable climate for the children. "It's just that— that Corazon…."

"Oh," his eyebrows rose. "I forgot that he like your short hair."

"I almost forgot too," she smiled a gentle but sad smile. Her voice shook. "It's been so long, Law."

The Surgeon of Death clenched his hands as her voice cracked. Their hated Warlord had caused them so much pain over the years, both indirectly and directly. He looked her over for a second time, watching the way her posture was more confident and how her eyes had begun to brighten, obvious positive signs of how being away from her 'lover' was affecting her. He pursed his lips, unsure of how to move forward.

"Marina, you don't really—"

"Have you been sleeping lately?" Marina tapped her brother lightly on the chin, gently lifting his face with her smooth hands in order to get a good look at his face in the dimming lights. She could see the bags under his eyes; he was too stressed. "You haven't, have you?"

"Quite avoiding the question," Law pushed away her hand. "Do you plan on coming with—"

"Hey, Captain! We're finished packing." Bepo popped his head in, his fur clad face lighting up at the sight of Marina. "Rina!"

"Bepo!" She held out her arms to the polar bear mink. "I didn't get the chance to see you this morning!"

And it was true. She didn't. The Heart Pirates only had a small window to extract Marina and the children, a window of only a day— a day that was quickly ending. The captain of the Heart Pirates took a quick look out the small window, taking in the dramatic oranges and reds spilling out into the sky as the sun set down. He turned back to her, another thought on his mind, finding his first mate hugging his sister. She was flooded in his fur.

"Bepo," Law commanded his first mate. Bepo turned to him with round eyes. "Get the kids onto the ship. We don't have much time left."

"Ah, okay, Captain," Bepo released his right arm, saluting the Heart Pirate captain and after giving Marina a quick hug, he skipped out the door to the children playing in the garden.

After the rest of the crew filed out, Law made sure to shut the door behind the last crew member. His beloved sister raised an eyebrow at him. He turned back to her, slamming a small but sharp dagger onto the rickety table as he stared into his sister's eyes, watching her to spot any changes in her demeanor. She inhaled sharply.

"What is this for?" His accusation was clear in his voice.

"Basic defense, Law," the accused rolled her eyes at him. Unfortunately, her eyes had betrayed her.

"You don't plan on coming with us." He stared her down, upset with her decision in facing Doflamingo. He watched his short haired sister swallow hard, noticing the way her creamy skin had begun to perspirate under his scrutinizing stare.

She shook her head, lowering her eyes from her brother. "No."

"The children don't know either."

"No."

The Heart Pirate captain sat down again, setting his elbows on the table as he rubbed the stress from his face. She was crushing his heart. The black-haired man sighed into his palms as the woman before him fidgeted under the cracking pressure of the silent cabin. She bit her lip. Law forced the words from his mouth. "Why?"

"Because," Marina's voice shook. "He's just searching for me. The kids will grow out of their baby fat in a few years and he won't be able to recognize them. I can't. He'll always know it's me. I just need you to hide the kids until then."

"That still won't be a few years, Marina. And not to mention how pissed he'll be if this fails."

" _Law,"_ the woman with the grey eyes pleaded with him, gently grasping his hands in hers. "Please."

Law sighed. "Of course."

Marina smiled a soft smile at him, her smile reaching her eyes as she knew her children would be in safe hands. "Come on, let's make sure the children are on board."

The captain nodded, knowing that his crew could be complete idiots at their jobs sometimes. Still, he kept them around for their loyalty. Unlocking the door, Law opened the wooden appliance wide for his sister, acting gentlemanly just like how their father taught him. "They'll miss you."

"Of course, they will," she rolled her eyes. "I'm their mother."

Law shut the door behind him, spotting a family picture of only four people: three small blond children surrounding a smiling black-haired woman. He grabbed her wrist, spinning her to face him as he looked deep into her eyes. His beautiful but stress-worn sister looked back at him with her sad green orbs. The laughter of her children caused him to drift his eyes behind her, finding two boys lifting their small sister above them.

"Does he know of her?" Law glanced at Marina.

"No," she wrapped her arms around her. "And thank god for that."

Law nodded, knowing the importance of Doflamingo's ignorance. His niece caught sight of her beloved uncle, smiling as she was lifted high into the air. His own lips moved into a smile as the blonde's bright smile reminded him of his sister so long ago.

"Uncle Law!" His niece's ringing voice reached his ears. The boys dropped her down to the ground as she wiggled out of their arms, smiles on their faces as they heard his name.

Law dropped low for the little girl, his arms wide to take in the bouncing blonde. "Amora!"

"Uncle Law," the second youngest child of Marina waddled up to the duo. "Bepo said that were going on a trip."

"Dante," Law wrapped his other arm around the blond, "you would be right."

"Why?" The eldest boy narrowed his eyes, sensing that something was off with the two adults.

"Adrian," his mother chided him, gently tugging her hands through her son's hair as she reminisced on her past lover's hair that matched her son's. Her son pursed his lips at her but obeyed her silent commands of quieting his concerns. "Your uncle is going to take you all on a trip until I can fix up the house."

"Yay!" Her youngest son cheered. "I like Uncle Law!"

Marina dropped down low, wordlessly calling her children towards her to give them her last hugs. With gentle pecks on their cheeks, the woman smiled a sad smile to her small loves. "Be good and listen to your uncle, no matter what."

The three nodded, letting themselves be taken away by Bepo and down into the metal walls of the submarine. Law watched his small family pack themselves away in the submarine as he turned back to his remaining sister. He handed her a small den-den mushi. "I talked to a dock boy. He has orders to only call the den-den mushi when he sees any Donquixote. That should give you enough time to prepare."

"Before you leave, tell him I'll leave a note under the floor boards under my bed," Marina hugged Law, tightly gripping her only hope of beating Doflamingo.

Law sighed. "Look, you don't have to do this. I'm sure we could find another way. Shit, even Luffy—"

"No," Marina interrupted him. "I'm tired of him chasing me, us. Just let it be and protect the kids."

Law pushed her back, taking in her defeated form as he looked her over. "Okay, fine."

"Thank you, Law," Marina gave him another smile, although it was still had a hint of sadness. Law gave her a nod, taking his sword in hand from its resting spot on the doorway and started down the pathway to the submarine, waving his goodbyes as she watched from her spot in the doorway. When he was almost out of hearing range, he heard her shout. "Tell Luffy I said thanks and I'm sorry!"

Law couldn't handle himself anymore and his tears slipped from his grey eyes. He turned back to her, his depressed expression open on his face and his wet eyes showing to his sister as he broke down in front of her. He gave her a sad nod and continued down to the submarine as he wiped away his tears. He didn't turn around when he shut the submarine's door.

Marina watched her brother leave, watching the submarine disappear into the deep ocean blue. With no tears in her eyes, she reminded herself to return to her house. She needed to prepare for Doflamingo. Her eyes glossing over abandoned newspapers; she ignored the headlines that gave away his location to her— things he wanted her to know. He was slowly getting closer, only a few more days until he reached her along with any of his lackeys.

Oh well. She guesses she'll just sleep for now. She was tired. Of so many things.

 **Let me know what you guys think.**


	2. With A Constant Rhythm

**Don't expect such frequent updates. The inspiration bunny bit me in the ass and I just had to write this. I don't know how long this story will be but it's probably not going to be a small story or a large one. You'll get an actual story, not just tidbits of their past. I was just writing her past and then this happened. Either way, I hope you enjoy it and leave a comment.**

 **If you haven't finished the Dressrosa Arc, this will not be spoiler friendly.**

 _They found her in the ruins of some waring country during a mission trip. It didn't matter what country and, honestly, they had forgotten the name of the country themselves. What mattered, though, was that they saw her, and they loved her almost immediately. Being a small, malnourished child of only five years old, they couldn't help but fall in love with her round green eyes and her raggedy ink black hair. Despite the advice from others, they took her in their arms and named her Trafalgar D. Marina._

 _As a child raised in the slums, of course she had a few problems. To put it simply, in her first few years living with the Trafalgar couple, she was a terror._

 _They first found the problem when the couple saw her picking at another little girl's hair, pulling the blond locks harshly as she commanded for the blonde's sweets. After returning the blonde to her parents, they sat her down and asked her why she would do something that hurtful. Her head hanging in shame, the Trafalgar parents decided to teach her a lesson._

 _"Marina, doctors are compassionate," they told her. "They help people, not hurt them. You must learn to be nice."_

 _If you asked her now, Marina would say that she does not remember this exchange. And she wouldn't be lying. She doesn't. However, she does remember her parents telling her of this lesson and how she had apparently taken the admonishing to heart. The former slum rat had stopped being cruel, attempting to be a compassionate person her adopted parents had taught her to be— a personality trait that would later save her and doom her at the same time._

 _However, another lesson had to be taught when they found her hording her leftover food under the floorboards. After throwing out all the rotting food, they had to sit her down a second time and explain to her why hording food wasn't okay. They understood where she was coming from, but she was safe now._

 _"Marina," they cooed together as they swaddled her in their arms, "you will never go hungry again in your life. We'll take good care of you."_

 _Marina believed them. They had given her all the food and candy that she had asked for. Why would they lie? She had even gained her normal weight and was feeling full and energized for the first time in her life. She didn't have anything to worry about._

 _But when she was eight years old, the Trafalgar parents had started to worry. They didn't know how she would handle it. Was she going to be happy? Upset? Her parent knew that she reacted well with the other children in her school, but she was only there for a few hours. How would she react to another child that was with her all the time?_

 _"Marina, you're going to have a little brother soon," her mother gently tapped her nose, giving the short haired girl a gentle smile. "You're going to be big sister, so you'll have to take care of your brother. Okay?"_

 _"Okay!" Her chirpy voice responded to her mother's delight. And it was the best decision Marina had ever made. When her mother placed the new squirming unnamed baby in her arms, Marina knew that she had fallen in love. With his watery grey eyes and his puffy baby cheeks, the eight-year-old couldn't help but fall in love with her younger sibling. He looked so much like his father._

 _"Name him Water! Like me! We're siblings!"_

 _With happiness in her parent's eyes, together they took their two children in their arms and named their new born son Trafalgar D. Water Law. And Marina decided that she would always be there for him. With childlike innocence, the older sister promised to always be by her little brother's side. Through his knee scrapes and bruised hands, the sister held true to her words, always taking care of her younger sibling as he grew through his childhood years with his sister by his side._

 _At first when he tugged at her hair, she thought it was cute as he grasped at her like she was his life line. But as his tugs started getting stronger and her yelps got louder, their mother put her foot down. Marina was definitely in need of a good hair cut; the length was already past her butt._

 _"Marina, it's about time you cut your hair," her mother chided her as they pulled a little Law's hands out of her long black locks._

 _"No, Mama," her daughter gripped her hair as if trying to protect it from the hands of her mother. "I don't like blades."_

 _And it was true, she didn't. When someone pulled out a blade back when she was an orphan, it usually meant that someone was trying to stab you. Her mother knew this though. And it seems she was prepared. Pulling out only a small pair of scissors, her mother gentle touched Marina's wrist. "How about this? We'll only cut off a small bit at a time."_

 _Marina was hesitant but allowed her mother to take her ink black locks into her hands. Her mother struggled against the small blades but was able to cut away little chunks of black hair nonetheless as her daughter's eyes remained tightly shut. As the scissors snipped away at her hair, Marina clutched her teddy bear— a gift from her father. And slowly her mother chopped off the daughter's long ink black hair, leaving the girl with a short black bob._

 _"Alright, Marina," her mother put down her scissors, far away from baby Law's searching hands. "You're good for now. We'll have to take you to an actual hairdresser tomorrow to get the uneven cuts."_

 _She returned the squirming Law back into Marina's hands and the two siblings were left to each other as the mother went off to find the broom. The little girl turned to the mirror, taking in the short black hair bordering her face. It was different from what she was used to— scraggly hair draping across her head in a think mat— but this was nice. Marina looked and felt lighter. Her hair bounced from the loss of the heavy weight, free from the heavy shackles of long and tangled hair._

 _Funnily enough, Law seemed to like her new hair style more too. He giggled at her new still messy bob, grasping at thin air as he attempted to reach for the familiar black ink. His sister looked down on her bubbly brother, taking in his wide, smiling mouth and his bright grey eyes staring back at her own. And this was when she decided that she loved her new hair style. And she wouldn't let anyone tell her differently._

* * *

Until she met _him_.

"You cut your hair."

"I did."

"Why?" His deep voice grumbled out in a slightly offended tone.

His tone confused her, jumbling her own thoughts as her confusion grew evident on her face. Marina self-consciously reached up to her hair, lightly grasping the tips of her freshly cut hair as she pondered over his response. "Why does it matter?"

His eyes drifted from her frame face over to the cracked window in their refurbished building, taking in the messiness of the junkyard. The blond man ignored her question, opting for one of his own as his curiosity grew with more glances to the black-haired woman standing before him. The shaded eyes returned to the clean, and sickly thin, woman standing before him. "How come you don't have Amber Lead Syndrome?"

"I'm adopted," her short reply came as she mentally prepared herself from more of his questions. She could feel his eyes roam her, but she couldn't see them. Still, she remained unwavering as she looked back into his sunglasses.

"From where?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know," he raised his eyebrows at this.

She shook her head, letting her hair swing around her face. "I don't know."

"And how did you get out from Flevance, Rina?" The blond scanned her again, trying to see how Jora had thought that the black-haired woman had resembled the little scrawny kid from a few months earlier. Looking closer at her figure, seeing as how both the Trafalgars were too skinny and had black hair, he had to give Jora some slack.

"Marina."

"What?" The blond lifted a thin blond eyebrow, surprised at this woman's gull.

"My name is Marina."

The captain leaned back into his chair, tilting his head at this snippy woman taking up his time. "Oh? But Law seemed to have only called you Rina."

He was slightly surprised to find her breaking her contact to smile at the floor boards, a past memory no doubt replaying on her mind. The woman returned her gaze back to the blond man sitting before her, giving him a beaming smile. "He's my brother; it's his nickname for me."

* * *

 _"Rina!" A four-year-old boy bounced into a twelve-year-old's arms, hanging onto her arms as she swung him around in a small circle. His giggles filled the room as she hugged him tighter to her body, relishing in his happy laughter. This life was so much better than the one she had almost completely forgotten. The one from before. Before she had two parents giving her a good night's kiss. Before she had a little brother to look after. Before she had decided to cut her hair._

 _Marina had decided to keep her short bob; it was so much easier to brush through. And it also tangled less often! She had found that she truly did love the new style. It was… freeing, in a way. She had lost the heavy weight of the hair, allowing her to move her head with a lighter feeling as she moved her neck. Her neck could get quite cold, however. And so, Marina had started to hate winter._

 _The winter breeze would always blow on her neck with the likening of a gentle lover's kiss on a lazy morning. She liked the feeling, but it was still too cold. It sent shivers down her spin as the breeze caressed her still pale skin, paler than some of the patients lying in her father's hospital. They never could figure out what happened to those people._

 _"Wina!"_

 _Ah, the reason for her favorite season Spring. A small brunette waddled over to the two siblings, reaching up from her older sister with her small grasping hands. Her hair was also a short bob, the only similarity to her adopted sister. Marina had prepared her hair into two cute piggy tails. With the girl's wide grey eyes and her beaming smile, the little girl was the embodiment of happiness._

 _"Lami!"_

 _"I want hug!" The small girl pouted, stomping her feet as Law stuck out his tongue at her. Lami tripped over herself in her small waddle, tightly wrapped in a heavy winter coat. She landed face first in the deep snow, her hands falling above her head as she plummeted down into the white blanket._

 _"Lami!" Marina called out to her sister, attempting to hold in her laughter as Lami waved her arms back and forth in the snow. Law couldn't hold in his laughter, letting his mocking laughs echo through their backyard. Marina dropped Law into the soft snow below him and moved over to her little Lami. She lifted the brunette out of the snow, holding in her giggles as she took in Lami's red face and deadpanned expression. Lami frowned when she saw her brother laughing in the white snow._

 _And this is the only reason why she tolerated the icy winter. Because of her siblings. Her baby siblings. The ones she promised that she would protect and look after. They were her family. They might not have been her blood, but they were the only things she wanted to remember. The memories from before were already fading, and soon she would only remember the memories of them. The memories of the laughter of her two siblings, of when her mother read stories to the three of them, of when their father decided to teach them of his profession._

 _Marina was terrible at modern medicine, something Law was good at, but she found that she had excelled in herbal medicine. She loved growing special medicinal herbs and using them for her father's patients. Her mother had taught her how to correctly use the plants to a doctor's advantage, something that she would never had believed was so important._

 _After all, Law wouldn't always be by her side. Away, but never too far._

 _Right?_

* * *

"Why are you picking at the weeds, _Marina_?" Her name rolled off his tongue like smooth wine down her throat despite the slightly condescending tone he had used. The captain touched her freshly cut hair, wishing she still wouldn't cut off her long locks when her hair grew out in wavy black locks. He watched her stop with her herb picking.

"I'm not picking at _weeds, Doflamingo,"_ Marina returned his name with a snippy tone, pushing back her inky hair with her dirty fingers. She put a hand on her hips. "We need the herbs."

"We don't need to resort to weeds, Marina," Doflamingo rolled his eyes at the woman. "We can get medicine."

"Yes, but those don't last very long in Spider Miles' heat. Certain medicines degrade after high temperatures," Marina brushed off some dirt patches. A small Dellinger waddled over to the woman, wrapping his tiny arms around her small waist. He latched onto the woman, forcing her to gather the child into her arms. Doflamingo must admit, the human and fishman hybrid had gotten quite good at manipulating the soft-hearted woman. Dellinger burrowed his face into her chest, shooting a knowing smirk at the captain before he did so, causing the older blond to roll his eyes at the child. "If you dry these herbs, you can store them much longer in this heat."

Doflamingo watched her carry the child back to the ship, his eyes locked firmly onto her round backside. He will admit; he loved watching her swaying backside. She was alluring, pulling him into her just like the thing she was named after: the sea. He could see her long black locks swinging as she walked as well; if only she out grew her inky tresses. She did look good with her obsidian hair framing her face, but she would look even better with her the liquid obsidian flowing down her back, like a queen.

"She's a distraction."

His brow furrowed at the words, hating how his officer worded his 'observation.' The captain ran a hand through his own blond hair. "And what makes you say that?"

"You've always had your eyes on her ever since Law brought her here," Diamante merely raised his brow at his captain's tone, not expecting him to be so defensive of the former street rat. His red cape hung heavy on his shoulders, almost dragging across the dirt if it wasn't for his abnormal height. In all his years following Doffy, he had never seen the captain so distracted by a mere woman. "Either be finished with her or forget about her, Doffy. You can't afford distractions."

"Diamante," Doflamingo rumbled his officer's name deep within his chest, growing slightly irate as his officer attempted to control him. He shot a sick smile to the man named after a mineral. The smile sent shivers down Diamante's spine; he was not used to Doflamingo's anger being directed towards him. "You worry too much. Stop thinking about it."

The former Celestial Dragon followed after his growing obsession, leaving the top officer to himself. Diamante frowned, not liking what he had just heard from his future king. It seems that he must get rid of the distraction himself before Doffy gets too attached.

* * *

 _She was seventeen, almost an adult and almost ready where she could make her own decisions. Marina was so close. She loved her parents, but sometimes she really hated them bugging her about every little thing she does._

 _"You two aren't going to sex, right?" Her father held out his finger, practically already admonishing her for something she didn't do. Her brother next to her giggled, already knowing what sex was— he came from a family of doctors after all— and laughed at his sister's expense._

 _"Dad!" Her green orbs widened at her father's bluntness and her eyes grew furious as they spotted the little brother laughing on the couch. "No! Of course not!"_

 _"Look, you guys can be open with me. I just want to make sure you'll be safe. You two have been dating for a few months and you know the danger of STDs…."_

 _"Hahaha," her brother laughed even louder as he paged through his own book._

 _Marina rolled her eyes at her dad, packing up her purse as she tried ignoring her brother's laughter. She'll give him so much shit when he comes home with a girlfriend. Her mother poked her head into the living room, spotting her husband talking about something with sexually transmitted diseases and her middle child giggling at his sister. The Trafalgar mother knew immediately what was going on. Walking over to her eldest daughter and grasping her by the hands, she planted a small kiss on Marina's forehead. "Just have fun, sweetie."_

 _Marina gave her mother a relieved sigh, noticing her mother slip something into her purse. What could that be? "I will, Mom."_

 _"And Law?" Her mother gave him a smile._

 _"Mom?"_

 _"Don't give your sister a hard time. Or she'll give you hell when you bring home a nice lady."_

 _Law's face turned beet red as he buried his head deeper into his medical book, causing his sister's laughter to ring into the living room. After giving her father a hug, she headed out the door with a farewell wave to her family. Turning around, she quickly landed herself into someone's arms. Sheepishly peering up, she took in the blue eyes staring down at her. She smiled wide._

 _"Alex!"_

 _"Hey, Mari," the other teenager's own smile grew wide when he took in her black hair and green eyes. His own blond hair shone in the sunlight. Alex gave her a toothy grin and grabbed her hand, leading her out of her parent's yard. "Ready for our date?"_

 _"Of course!" Marina gave him another wide grin, latching onto his arm as he led the way to the diner. Remembering her mother slipping something into her purse, she stopped, confusing her date as she did so. "Wait."_

 _"Did you forget something? Do you want to head back?"_

 _"No, my mom gave me something." Marina rummaged through her purse, finding a neat little box hiding under her wallet. She grabbed the box, bursting with laughter as she read the covering. Alex grabbed the box, confusion on his face as he heard her laughter. He couldn't help but crack as smile as he read the cover. It was a box of condoms. She guesses they really will have sex._

* * *

Rosinante awoke to the feeling of her naked body pressed up against him. He had covered them in his large feather coat, making sure she was warm even if they were camping out on a summer island. He knew how easily the woman wrapped in his arms got cold. The Donquixote wrapped his arms tighter, breathing in the small— small for him— woman's scent: lavender.

"Rosi?" A soft sigh of his name came from the woman in his arms, sighing his name in his favorite way. "What time is it?"

"It's early," he gave her soft peck on his forehead, squeezing her tighter. "Go back to bed."

"Ah," Marina managed to roll over in his arms, her hands clasping onto his black coat. She murmured a few more barely distinguishable words. "Don't forget to pack the kids' lunches for school."

Rosinante couldn't help but smile at her words. She was dreaming of having a life with him. A dream where he had most likely married her, a dream where he had children with her, a dream where they had simple lives. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to have that life with her when he was finished with his Doffy business. Just maybe. He'll see what Sengoku can do for them. For now, he'll just settle with dreams and a peck on the forehead.

* * *

"She's not getting better at all," her mother whispered to her father in the darkness of the room as the studied their x-rays. "This makes no sense."

Marina sat in the corner, not liking how Lami's condition was being talked about by her parents. Everyone they had tested had it, everyone except for her. They told it wasn't contagious, she got that. It made sense. That's why she didn't have it. But if it wasn't contagious, where did it come from? How did literally everyone in her family have it?

Her parents have it; Marina could see the little white spots growing on their skin. Law had it, even if he couldn't visibly see it yet. If you squinted hard enough, you could see the white spots on some of her classmates.

Every day, more and more people were getting sent to the hospital for the mysterious white disease they had now called Amber Lead Syndrome. They gave it a name, but no one could cure it. And they were all going to die because of it.

 **Let me know what you guys think.**


	3. A Gentle Beat

**So I'm back for the summer! I'll be updating during the summer and I just want to thank everyone that has reviewed so far. It truly does make me happy and really does help me brainstorm for this story.**

 **I also just want to mention that some of Doflamingo's physical characteristics will be based on a theory that some people are beginning to speculate on. And that theory is that Doflamingo is blind in his left eye.**

"Law, maybe if you'd just suck it up and apologize to her then she wouldn't be mad at you anymore," Marina sighed. She was currently leaning against her bed's head board reading one of her favorite novels as her brother laid on the very edge of her bed. Even with her fully grown eighteen-year-old self and Law's ten-year-old self, they were far enough apart to not touch.

Law gave an exaggerated sigh. She mimicked his exaggerated sigh. He sighed back, louder and more ridiculous. Marina paused in her reading— more like attempted reading— and put down her book. She was getting nowhere if she had to reread the same line seventeen times to get it. The daughter scooted closer to him, pointing her bare feet at the boy. With swift motions, the girl pushed him off her bed with her feet, the squirming boy landing on the floor with a muffled thump.

"Hey!" The boy shot up, pointing his finger into the girl's face. He stuck his tongue at her and bolted out of the pink room. "I'm telling Mom!"

"I'll tell her what you did to Lami!" Marina shouted back to him, a smirk on her face. He'll never tell. He never did. Especially not after that one time their mother had grounded Law for a month when she found out that Law had lied to her.

She picked up her book after scooting back into her cozy spot on the bed, going back to restart her lovely story about a man saving a damsel in distress. So unrealistic, but oh so addicting. If only she could have a prince sweep her off her feet. Or even better. A king. Marina could be queen of a country, ruling over subjects that would love her. He would wrap her in his arms and whisper sweet nothings that she would crave to hear from him. He would give her the world, offering her anything she would want with the snap of his fingers. Her green orbs closed, relishing in her dream of her very own kind and sweet king—

"Who did what to Lami?"

Her father's voice jolted her from her day dream, giving rise to a laughing smile on his face as he watched his poor daughter panic. He shook his head, speculating on what young woman day dream about. Oh, how the Trafalgar father had wished this day would never come. How he wished his little girls would never grow old. Maybe he could invent something that would prevent Lami from growing old? Then at least she could stay his little girl forever. Alas. He could not do that.

"You better not be dreaming of a boy, young lady."

" _Dad,"_ Marina groaned, rolling her eyes at her father's antics.

" _Marina,"_ her father mimicked her, eye roll and everything.

"What do you want?"

He gave her a mocking shocked expression. "Can a dad not have a pleasant conversation with his daughter?"

"Talking about men with my dad is not something I imagine that would be counted as a pleasant conversation."

" _Men?!"_ This did shock the doctor. What was his baby girl doing thinking about _men?_ In his eyes, she should be thinking about school. Or even those snotty nose boys that were in that school. What in the world was she looking for in men? Men? "You, young lady, should not be thinking about _men!_ "

Marina rolled her eyes again. She just wanted to read her damn book. Yes! Her book about men! Leave her alone! "Oh my god, _Dad_!"

"Daddy?" A quiet voice pipped up. The two looked down near the male Trafalgar and found the smallest Trafalgar family clutching at her father's lab coat, her hands clinging into the white fabric. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Men!" Her father exclaimed, dramatically waving his hands wildly in front of him, gesturing to nothing. "Boys! Can you believe it?"

Scrunched up her nose. "Why? Boys are icky. And gross."

"Exactly!" Her father nodded his head vigorously. He stopped in his head nodding when he realized something. "Hey, where's that Alex kid? I haven't seen him around in a while."

"Oh, I dumped him." Marina stood up from her bed, stretching out her lean body.

Lami bounced over to her, clutching at the hem of her oversized t-shirt. She wore a cute pout on her face. "But why? I liked him!"

Her elder sister shrugged. "Wasn't feelin' it."

"Buuutttt _whhhyyyy…."_ Her father mimicked his daughter, drastically dragging out the ending words with a more dramatic tone, pulling out another eyeroll from his daughter.

"Oh my god, can't you guys just go away—"

"Dinner is ready!" Her mother's lovely voice freed the young woman from her self-made prison with her father and younger sister.

Strongly regretting kicking her brother from her bed, the girl bolted out of her room to sprint down the cold marble stairs. She had always hated the white lead that was decorated everywhere. The entire town was painted in white and it was always a mystery to her why it had grown so popular. The white was _blinding_. It could be a cloudy day and the reflection off the Amber Lead would be so bright that it could be seen by a blind man. And not to mention that it's an eyesore. It's just white. No color. At all. And not to mention that it made the entire town look cold, like it was covered in snow. If you asked her, she would say that nature is more beautiful. Greenery and flowers sparkling color everywhere. The greenery was softer on the eyes and most flowers even had pleasant aromas.

But no. Flevance just had to use the godawful lead.

"Mom!" Marina shouted out to her adopted mother, slowing to a walk as she entered the kitchen. "Dad's being annoying."

"I'm not surprised," her mother gently smiled at her children's antics. She hoped that they would never grow up. The Trafalgar mother set down a small dish of onigiri— a small treat for Law— and a large plate of a grilled fish, freshly caught from the sea. She would keep the dessert in the fridge, lest she wanted the dessert to melt. And she didn't want Lami eating it first. The Trafalgar mother typically didn't give her children anything too sweet or unhealthy, but she figured she would let the Trafalgar children have a treat this day.

Marina sat down at the dinner table, taking her fork and poking at the whole grilled fish before the others could arrive. She noticed the onigiri were poorly shaped and gave a small smile at her mother's poor work before taking one for her own. Her mother was so awful at shaping onigiri that Marina had taken over that portion of the children's lunches. Originally it was just to shut up Law, but now she can't help but like making it for her siblings.

"Hey! Marina!" Law was standing before her, giving her a harsh glare as he stood her down, watching the young woman continue to poke at the grilled fish. Only this time, it was to deliberately bother the younger sibling. Marina knew how much Law hated people playing at food. "Stop that!"

Marina stabbed the fish as she stared down her brother, poking through the crispy flesh with her fork, leaving four distinct holes. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"Marina," her mother frowned at her. "Stop that. You're eighteen, for Pete's sake."

The eldest daughter sighed. Law shot her a smug smile when her mother turned her back. She returned it with a sneer. "Can't a girl have fun?"

"Not with her food."

"Or with men," her father walked into the kitchen with Lami in his arms, leaning down to give Marina a light peck on the forehead.

Her mother gave her lover a confusion look, her expression mimicking her son's. "What?"

"Boys are icky and mean!" Lami bounced in her father's arms.

"No wonder! That must explain Law then!" Marina bit back a smile as she reached for her glass of water, hiding her smirk behind the glass as she caught Law's glare. Her father and sister burst into giggles as her words reached them, her sister's laughter ringing out the loudest. Her mother, on the other hand, was not happy.

"Marina! Apologize!"

Marina rolled her eyes. "Okay, Law. I'm sorry you're icky."

The only response from Law was a swift kick of his to her shin. Her green orbs went wide as her mouth moved into a round O-shape. Pain shot up into her leg, bringing a small tear to her eyes as Law smirked back at her. She dropped her fork back into the white porcelain plate.

"Ow!" Marina exclaimed, clutching her wounded shin. "You little—"

"Law!" Her mother cried out, just in time to censor out Marina's curse. The Trafalgar mother was getting awfully tired of the two's bickering. "Would you two grow up?"

"No!" The two responded, sticking out their tongue to their miffed mother. Her scowled deepened, especially when hearing her husband laugh along with her two eldest children. The two Trafalgar siblings smirked together, knowing full well that their mother would punish them later. But for now, they would relish in the feeling of angering their mother.

"I hope _both_ of your children will be just as bad as you two!"

Her father gasped, giving his wife a horrified stare. "She will not be having children."

Marina laughed into her water, smiling to herself as she hoped just the same as her mother. She would give the world to keep her and her brother's relationship the same. The young woman loved the feeling of freely bickering with her brother and would be devastated if Law was to be separated from her.

"Mama," her youngest sister called. "Did you make these onigiri?"

"Yes."

 _Ah, that's why they look awful._ Law silently kept his thoughts to himself, secretly wishing that his sister would have made at least that part of the meal. She was quite good with shaping the balls of rice he so desperately craved. "Hey, I've never had bread before."

"What?" Marina gave him a look of disbelief. She knows that their mother had never served bread. Her mother didn't want to feed them anything unhealthy from the stores, but the Trafalgar mother didn't know how to make bread from scratch. She had preferred to make everything her children ate from scratch. "Don't the schools offer bread at lunch? Why didn't you buy anything there?"

Law shrugged. "I always had a filling lunch. There wasn't a reason to buy anything."

Marina had to give it to him. Law was very practical when it came to his food. He simply ate whatever was put in front of him, not wanting to make anyone go out of their way to feed him. So why bother spending money on other food items when his sister and mother already gave him a free one? It just made sense to him to not waste money. Thus, he had never had bread.

"I don't know how to make bread," her mother mused on some thought of hers, probably thinking that it would be okay to go to the store and buy a loaf.

"I could try making it from scratch," his sister popped a green bean into her mouth. "I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard."

* * *

 _Oh my god,_ Marina thought to herself as she grimly stared down at the poor crumbling dough that was supposed to be a nice elastic texture. Instead of a tasty wettish dough, the _thing_ sitting before her was a salty dry, grainy dough— if you could call it that— that beckoned her to throw it in the trash. _Maybe it was supposed to be like that?_

Well, the Trafalgars would never know. Marina chucked the block of flour into the oven and desperately prayed that the solid mix of something that sounded like yeet, flour, water, and probably salt would turn out okay. Okay. That's all she's hoping for. This project of hers was almost the death of her. She would be fine with an okay from Law. Why she volunteered herself to make this monstrosity, she couldn't say. All she could say was that this was a pain in the ass.

She collapsed into the armchair of her living room after crawling out of the messy kitchen. Thank god no one was home today to see the poor woman work herself to death over a stupid loaf of bread. Law would give her so much hell over that if he had known how much extra work she made for herself. She leaned back into the comfy chair, letting herself fall into a deep, much needed sleep.

The black-hair woman awoke to the sound of incessant beeping. She rubbed her eyes, quietly wondering what Law was working on until she realized that she was still the only one in the house. Quickly, she bolted off the armchair and into the kitchen, smelling but not seeing smoke. Okay. She hadn't completely scorched it yet.

Opening the oven door with a pair of oven mitts, Marina pulled out the metal tray that held the supposed loaf of bread. She grimaced at the scene. Not only had she messed up the ingredients, she had permanently disfigured the poor loaf by blasting it with heat and blackening the crust to match her hair color. She let the thing cool, wanting to cut into the bread to see if the insides were at least edible. The knife was able to make itself useful, slicing easily into the crust. Only when Marina had tried to cut through the center was when she had the most trouble.

It… got stuck?

Marina's eyes widened in shock and confusion. She kept trying to cut through the loaf, even trying to help the knife by pulling apart the bread slicing when she could. Eventually she pulled apart the two slices. She peered at the insides of the loaf. It was… somehow still slightly gooey. Marina sighed in defeat.

"I'll just pitch it and buy a loaf," Marina breathed out as she set the knife down on the counter top. Her bread was a massive failure. She turned off the oven and went back over to the armchair to sleep off her disappointment. She'll have to make sure to buy a loaf before Law gets home or else he'll accidently take a bit of the burnt bread sitting on the counter. He'll never like bread if he tries that mess.

Marina yawned, thoroughly finished with today. Now she'll just take a small nap….

Crunch.

Crunch.

"Bleh!"

The sound of his voice jolted her awake. She sat up, wondering what he was so grossed out over. Marina heart stopped when she noticed what was in his hands. Law was standing before her with a grimace on his face, holding a slice of her burnt bread, a bite mark in the poor loaf. Marina knew then and there that Law would never be able to eat another slice of bread without remembering his first bite.

"I don't like it," Law said, a bland expression on his face.

Marina sighed. She should have just let her mother buy a loaf.

* * *

 _"Delly," she cooed to the baby blond fishman-human hybrid. Her arms were wide open, welcoming the still babbling baby. The black-haired woman was wearing a gentle smile on her face as the child had begun to slowly make its way over to her. "That's it, Delly. Just a little further."_

 _"Marina," an older blond called out to the woman, his own eyes finding its way to the baby blond. He eyed the child, knowing full well that Dellinger could already walk. He had done it for Jora when Marina wasn't in the room. "What are you doing?"_

 _"I'm trying to get Delly to walk," she responded, giving Doflamingo a gentle smile. "I think he's close to making his first steps!"_

 _He rolled his eyes at her. That boy already knows how to take advantage of her. Dellinger, before even one year old, has already learned how to pull at Marina's heart strings. With her coddling the blond baby practically since his birth, it was natural that he would stick himself to this gentle woman. He knew how to act around her to get Marina to keep him next to her. If Dellinger couldn't walk, Marina would be forced to carry the poor baby with her all day. So he simply doesn't walk._

 _Doflamingo watches the small boy stop with his slow crawling, falling back onto his padded bottom with a pout. The captain already knew that Dellinger was finished with his 'exercise.' He wanted to be spoiled now. Doflamingo knew what would come next. Dellinger would reach out with his arms, making a grabbing motion towards his adoptive mother. Marina would make a stern shake of her head, long black liquid pouring over her shoulders as her head moved. The baby would in turn throw a miniature tantrum that would cause the woman to scoop him up in her arms with more gentle coos._

 _"Delly, come on!" She cooed again._

 _"He's taking advantage of you," Doflamingo drawled, a slight mocking tone hidden in his words._

 _"Oh, he is not." Marina shot him a glare. He couldn't help but smirk at her. "He's a_ baby. _"_

 _"He's a_ smart _baby," Doflamingo corrected her before watching his prophesy play out._

 _Dellinger proceeded to cry out at Doflamingo's words. Marina, the soft-hearted woman that she was, couldn't help but get pulled into the baby's cries, allowing herself to be taken over by a primal motherly instinct. She swaddled the child in her arms, whispering gentle promises to the boy in her arms. The blond captain couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. A child, a baby not even a year old, has completely_ _taken advantage of a grown, adult woman. And she willingly gave her heart to the small child._

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	4. Her Heart Stops

**It's short, but it's what I have.**

"Yeah," Marina's mother watched Law glare at the poor black loaf resting on the counter. "I probably should have just bought a loaf."

Marina sighed, her face falling into the palm of her hands as she realized that she had tried too hard. She guesses that it's not the end of the world, he just hates bread. And she can tell him that she just massively messed up and that he wasn't supposed to eat the loaf she made. The woman gave her mother a desperate look, her eyes growing wide and her lips pulled into a sad pout. Her mother merely shrugged at her.

"I did tell you to just wait."

"Mooommm…."

"Marriinnnaaa…." Her mother playfully moaned back at her daughter. The teenager made a noise of annoyance as her mother rolled her eyes at her daughter. "Anyways, your father and I might be down at the hospital for the rest of this week. We got a whole new load of patients and they keep coming in. I'll need you to care of your siblings in the meantime."

"At this rate, shouldn't the government be helping us?"

"They should be coming soon, but we don't know how long it will take for them to get necessary supplies." Her mother shook her head at her words, knowing full well how the government was practically incompetent. "Just watch your siblings. I, at least, will only be gone a week at most. Anyways, everything should be fine."

* * *

"I swear to god, Law, I'm going to punch you. Now is not the time," Marina sneered. She threw down damp towels into the bathtub, making a mental checklist to clean and dry them after dealing with Lami. Pulling new towels out of the closet, she headed down the hall towards a very pink and girly bedroom. Lami was laying in her bed waiting for her sister. It's not like Lami could do anything else while she was sick. "Just get your ass to bed. I'll tell Mom when she gets back."

"If she gets back," she heard a bitter little boy mutter to himself.

Marina did feel bad for snapping at him. But she couldn't exactly deal with her own sister getting sick while also dealing with her other friends collapsing and then now Law was showing the white spots that Lami and her friends had and now Mom said that she had to stay later after taking some blood samples from each of them and Mom wouldn't tell Marina why she need those samples and then she heard that Alex had gotten sick and— god. She took in a deep breath before wiping off the sweat from Lami's pale face.

She just wanted her parents to come home.

* * *

 _He shouldn't offer. She would be useless to him. She was obviously weak. She wouldn't be able to fight. And it's not like they need doctors. His Family were strong, and they fought like beasts. The Family didn't need healers. The woman would only be another mouth to feed, another one to watch over so she didn't betray the Family or hurt herself. She was useless he told himself._

 _Doflamingo stared hard at her, watching a smile appear on her face as if he had just proposed the world to her. She would at least be a grateful grunt. That counts for something. He didn't like her hair, though. Something about the choppy short hair rubbed him the wrong way. It looked terrible on her. The way it framed her face gave her an innocent look, a look that she should not be wearing considering the ghosts locked deep inside her eyes._

 _But her smile was beautiful. Even if it was a sad smile._

 _Beauty can't be everything. If fact, it could get them in trouble. He might have to fight a gang to get her back. He doesn't want to waste his time in reacquiring the little sea. Doflamingo thinks that she'll be trouble._

Don't say yes.

 _She'll do something that'll cause him to mess up. Maybe Diamante was right in the fact that he shouldn't have taken that scraggly boy in. He probably should have left that Trafalgar boy to die on the streets. Fortunately for the woman, she smiled wider._

 _"Alright," Doflamingo finally spoke, "I guess you and your brother can join us for the time being."_

 _"Thank you, Doflamingo." She kept her gentle smile._

 _"Marina."_

* * *

"Law! Please, just this once listen to me!" Marina begged. Their lives depended on him listening to her. But his grief overwhelmed his reasoning. She began to sob harder, yet she couldn't let out her pathetic sobs lest her grief ridden screams alert the soldiers to their hiding spot. "Law, there's nothing we can do now. We need to leave."

Law struggled in her arms; he wasn't strong enough with the amber-lead syndrome attacking his small body. "We need to get Lami! She's still in there."

"She's dead, Law!" Marina sneered, breaking Law's little heart. "We have to go. I have to get you out of here."

He went limp in her arms, not wanting to accept his sister's saddening words. Instead of fighting her, he let himself be carried off to a distant future that he no longer wanted. Law wanted to give up. The government was supposed to help them, to save them from this uncurable disease that his entire family had. Instead, the government came with gifts of lead in their neighbors' bodies. They filled their homes with fire and left ash in their wake. Law could only watch from a distant place in his mind as his sister buried themselves in a cart under the bodies of people they probably knew. He couldn't tell their faces apart. The blood and mud were pressed too deep into their skin for him to recognize them. Some didn't even have their skulls intact.

The boy thinks he was crying. Why else would Marina cover up his mouth? He just wanted his family with him. Was that too much to ask?

* * *

 _"Doffy! Please, Doffy, just listen to me!" Marina begged. Her hands clenched his red suit jacket as tears began to leak out of her eyes— something she desperately hoped he didn't notice. His life depended on Doflamingo listening to her. But his anger overwhelmed his reasoning— as if he had any. Marina wanted to sob harder, but she knew she couldn't let herself. "Doffy! Please, just leave him! Let's just go!"_

 _Doflamingo's expression hardened, and Marina knew that he would not give in. It wasn't the first time that she wasn't able read his mood; he always kept himself under control. Marina's fingers clenched harder, the fabric twisting and straining under her surprising strength. What wonders fear did to one's abilities._

 _"Doffy! Don't!" Marina let go of his suit to instead reach up towards his gun, hoping to persuade him to stand down. "He is your—" Instead, Doflamingo's brow furrowed and his finger tightened over the trigger until his gun released a silver bullet straight into Corazon's chest. Marina collapsed. The sound punched her in the gut. She fell back into the cold snow and the last word was ripped from her throat in a quiet whisper. "—brother."_

 _"Was."_

 _The only she could do was cry— silently as if Rosinante was using his Calm-Calm fruit. She didn't even notice Doflamingo scooping her up from the cold snow. She didn't want him. She wanted Rosinante._

* * *

 _He woke to find the obsidian haired beauty sitting on the far edge of his large bed, stretching her body as she reached to the ceiling. Her long black hair hid her back from him, but he could correctly guess that she was bare of any article of clothing; he had removed everything of hers the night before. Doflamingo could only watch her back and imagine her perky breasts get lifted high as she pulled her muscles. She let out a soft exhale as stretched, a stark contrast to the cries she was letting out the night before. Hopefully, they didn't alert her brother._

 _"What are you doing all the way over there?" His voice startled her, causing her to visibly jump at his unexpected words._

 _"Doffy!" His woman turned to face him, her small hands over her naked breasts as she clutched her heaving chest. Her dark hair flew out in an obsidian halo as she spun her head. "Don't do that; you scared me!"_

 _Doflamingo merely chuckled at her attitude, gesturing for the woman to join him at the bed. She sent him a small smile but climbed next to him regardless. She shuffled under the covers, moving close to his heat as he wrapped a large arm around her small frame. Marina clung tight to him as she gazed out the window, taking in the bright sunlight pouring over the junk yard: a disgusting sight to wake up to. He would change that._

 _For her._

 _"So what's the plan for today?"_

 _The pirate captain hummed deep in his chest, a smile slowly growing on his face. "I was thinking about ravaging a beautiful lady this morning…."_

 _"Doffy!" Marina laughed, lightly swatting his chest as he laughed with her. "Seriously!"_

 _"We have to meet with the local mobster on Flower Island." Doflamingo glanced at the alarm clock. He still had time. "We have to work out some… agreements."_

 _"Flower Island?"_

 _"Yes," Doflamingo looked down at his obsidian haired queen, and he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked with her long hair again. The Donquixote brushed aside her black gold, admiring how the light shined back into his eye. The woman leaned into his touch, allowing his hand to cradle her face. Despite being a harsh pirate, Marina relished in the side of him that was a gentle lover. "I'll bring you back something beautiful."_

 _The woman's gentle smile grew. She couldn't help but want this man all to herself._

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